Hamilton Croatia

Hamilton Croatia is a Croatian Canadian amateur soccer team founded in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada in 1957. It is supported by the Croatian Sports and Community Centre of Hamilton Inc. (formerly the Croatian National Sports Club of Hamilton, Inc.).

The team plays in the Hamilton & District Premier Soccer League's Elite Division.

In September 2011, Hamilton Croatia hosted the 48th Annual Croatian National Soccer Federation of Canada & U.S.A’s Men’s Soccer Tournament. It was widely considered the most successful tournament in recent years.

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The organization was formed in 1957 as the Sports Club Croatia Hamilton, and competed in the Inter-City League under the guidance of Stjepan Stanković. The club debuted in a match against Hamilton Sparta 2-1, with Pavle Usenica scoring the first-ever goal in club history.[1] Throughout its history Hamilton Croatia hosted international friendly matches with Croatian club teams such as 1967 Inter-Cities Fairs Cup winners Dinamo Zagreb, NK Medjugorje, NK Croatia Brihovo, NK Vukovar '91, NK Karlovac, HSK Zrinjski Mostar, as well as Vasas Budapest SC, one of Hungary's major sports clubs.

In 1970, Hamilton Croatia went professional by entering the National Soccer League, where in their debut season they claimed the NSL Championship. Throughout their six-year tenure in the NSL, Hamilton managed to achieve a successful run within the league finishing in the second, and third positions for three seasons.[2]

Ron Davidson led Hamilton to the CSL Championship final in 2010, and as a result was named the CSL Coach of the Year

During the 1980s and 1990s the team was coached by John Zefkić, and Zvonko Zubrinić, where the club won several championships within the Hamilton & District Premier Soccer League.[3] Hamilton would also compete in the Ontario Soccer League, winning two division titles in 2008, and 2009, and head coach Ron Davidson winning the OSL Coach of the Year award in 2009.[4]

Hamilton made their debut in the CSL on May 15, 2010 in a match against TFC Academy, where they won the match by a score of 2-1.[9][10][11] The Croatian side started off the season with a six-game undefeated streak. Hamilton would finish third in the overall standings with the best offensive record within the league.[12] Croatia qualified for the postseason and faced TFC Academy in the quarterfinals where in the first match Hamilton won the match by a score of 2-1 with goals coming from Corporal, and Razumovic.[13][14] In the second leg Hamilton finished off the series with a 1-0 victory with the lone goal coming from Liberian international Preston Corporal.[15]

In the next round Hamilton faced rivals Toronto Croatia in a well attended match where Hamilton triumphed with a 2-0 victory advancing the club to the CSL Championship finals.[16][17][18] In the CSL Championship finals Hamilton faced Brantford Galaxy, but lost the match to a score of 3-0.[19][20][21] At the conclusion of the season Ron Davidson was awarded the CSL Coach of the Year award.[22] On February 11, 2011 after a successful debut season in the CSL the Hamilton Croatia executive board announced a parting of ways with the league, due to a result of philosophical differences with the CSL.[23][24]